Pitchers’ Duel Goes Against Alabama in 1-0 Loss to No. 8 Ole Miss

Alabama baseball fell, 1-0, to eighth-ranked Ole Miss in a game dominated by pitching on Friday evening at Oxford-University Stadium. The Crimson Tide loss ended a 12-game winning streak and puts UA’s record at 16-3 overall, 0-1 in Southeastern Conference play.

“Tonight was a great college baseball game, and unfortunately we came out on the short end,” said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. “All three guys who pitched for both teams were outstanding, and we just couldn’t get the bats going. Six of the nine batters in our lineup played in their first SEC game and it showed. I’m hopeful we will be looser and more aggressive at the plate tomorrow.”

The two teams combined for only 10 hits while striking out a total of 19 times in a game that favored pitching. A solo home run in the bottom of the second by Cole Zabowski provided Ole Miss with the game’s only scoring play for the 1-0 win. Rebel starter Will Ethridge (4-0) earned the win with 6.0 scoreless frames while closer Parker Caracci collected the save, working the final 1.2 to close things out.

Alabama starter Sam Finnerty (4-1) suffered the hard-luck loss despite another quality start, his fourth in five outings during his senior campaign. Finnerty tossed 6.0 innings, allowing only one run on the solo homer in the second. He gave up just four hits and issued one walk while striking out four across his season-high 92 pitches.

The homer by Zabowski led off the second inning, with the Rebel first baseman taking a 1-0 pitch to right for the solo shot. The Rebels did not record another extra-base hit the rest of the night and only tallied three more hits from the third inning on. Alabama was able to reach a runner in the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth innings. The Tide had a runner in scoring position with two down in the seventh and received a two-out double from junior Morgan McCullough in the eighth, but was unable to capitalize on the opportunities to even things up.

Alabama and Ole Miss return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon for a 1:30 p.m. CT first pitch at Swayze Field. The Crimson Tide will look to redshirt junior Brock Love, a right-hander, in the start while the Rebels counter with junior southpaw Zack Phillips. Fans can catch game two of the series on SEC Network+.

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